Digital I-SAF: New CAFs Recruited and Trained

In September 2021, our Digital I-SAF project team trained more than 150 new community accountability facilitators (CAFs) on the basics of implementing the Social Accountability Framework. More than two thirds of these volunteers based in the provinces of Steung Traeng, Mondulkiri and Kratie are young women. During the five-day training courses that were offered to each of the five groups of CAFs, we used a hybrid method combining face-to-face facilitation by partner NGO staff with online presentations given by our main trainers based in Phnom Penh. The results of the pre- and post-tests clearly show that most of our new volunteers acquired solid knowledge by attending the courses: While only around ten percent of them had had good or average scores in the initial evaluation, well over half of them passed the post-test with convincing scores. Most participants also expressed satisfaction with our hybrid method, as well as with the training materials, the main challenge being the lack of stable internet connections or appropriate devices in some remote areas. In general, however, we believe that the new CAFs will be able to accomplish their mission, which will consist in helping citizens in their communities monitor and evaluate public service providers, as well as in facilitating community scorecard meetings. This initiative is part of our project called “Supporting Meaningful Civic Engagement for Improved Accountability by Leveraging Digital Technologies”, which is funded by the European Union and implemented by API in partnership with CARE Cambodia.